Jump to content


Photo

Rondel Motul Token & Project Four - Ron Dennis


  • Please log in to reply
2 replies to this topic

#1 tonicco

tonicco
  • Member

  • 134 posts
  • Joined: April 01

Posted 13 September 2001 - 16:31

While reading an interview with Ron Dennis in F1 Racing, I came across the following data. Can someone confirm if all the info is correct?

1971 - RD starts Rondel Racing, racing two loaned Brabham BT36 Formula 2 cars.
1973 - Rondel Racing field is own cars, dubbed the Motuls, due to the sponsorship from the French oil company.
1974 - Oil crisis thwarts completion of new Rondel F1 car (which is subsequently taken over by backers Ken Grob and Tony Vlassopulo and raced as the Token F1).
1976 - RD starts Project Four and runs semi-works F2 Marches.
1978 - Amalgamates Project Four with Ardmore Racing, run by future fellow McLaren director Creighton Brown.
1979 - Wins British F3 championship. Partnership with John Barnard, creating the first all-carbonfibre composite F1 chassis.
1980 - Brokers controversial merger between Project Four and down-at-heel McLaren team.
1982 - Snatches TAG as major backer from Williams. TAG commit to funding Porsche-made 1.5-litre turbo V6 for 1984.
1984 - Dennis brokers sale of Barnard's shares in company to TAG's Mansour Ojjeh for bargain £800,000.
1999 - DaimlerChrysler purchase 40 per cent of the TAG McLaren Group under the terms of a share option. Deal concluded the following year, valuing the group at around £700 million. Dennis keeps controlling interest via his and Ojjeh's 60 per cent majority shareholding.

Advertisement

#2 fines

fines
  • Member

  • 9,647 posts
  • Joined: September 00

Posted 13 September 2001 - 20:44

Just a few additions:

Rondel Racing was the combined project of Ron Dennis and Neil Trundel. They probably hoped to continue with Motul in 1974, but the French oil giant moved on to BRM.

"Project Two" was Team Ecuador in 1974, a team of Formula Two Surtees/BMWs with Marlboro (?) backing.

Project Three Racing ran a couple of F2 March/BMWs in the 1975 season.

#3 LittleChris

LittleChris
  • Member

  • 3,704 posts
  • Joined: April 01

Posted 13 September 2001 - 21:34

A bit more to add. Ronnie Peterson drove a Project 3 March at the 1975 Easter Monday Thruxton F2 race, but was involved in a multi car shunt at the chicane early on. This must have been pretty well the last F2 race he took part in. His team-mate was Vittorio Brambilla who won on combined times over the 2 races.

Henri Pescarolo won the same race in 1973 for the Motul ( Rondel ) team with team-mate Bob Wollek 2nd ( Although I believe Happy Bob was later disqualified ). I believe Jody Scheckter may have been in a 3rd car, he was certainly on the entry list according to my copy of the programme, as was Jean Pierre Jassaud.